Substitute Teacher Aide

To assist the teacher and cooperate in a supportive role carrying out developmentally appropriate activities. To promote the health, nutrition, and education of the children and to attend to their safety and welfare. Complies with the Head Start Program Performance Standards, TDPRS Minimum Standards, School Readiness Goals, and other Federal, State, and local regulations, policies, and procedures.

Responsibilities

• Assists in implementing screening procedures that identify concerns in the developmental, behavioral, motor, language, social, cognitive, and emotional skills of each child in the classroom within 45 calendar days of the child’s entry into the Program.
• Assists in implementing with fidelity a research-based curriculum with effective teaching practices that promote positive outcomes by promoting growth in the developmental progression described in the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework: Ages Birth to Five.
• Integrates child assessment data and developmentally appropriate learning experiences in planning and implementing a collaboratively designed lesson plan.
• Assists in conducting Parent-Teacher conferences, including at least two center visits and two home visits, with more frequent conferences conducted as appropriate.
• Assists in implementing the classroom’s emergency procedures, including posting procedures, locations, and telephone numbers of emergency response systems, emergency evacuation routes, and maintaining up-to-date family contact information and authorization for emergency care.
• Conducts and documents monthly fire drills, and severe weather and lock-down drills four times per year.
• Ensures that the child’s outdoor and indoor environments are safe and clean at all times, including storing outdoor equipment such as wagons and tricycles and storing dangerous materials and potential poisons under lock and key.
• Sanitizes classroom equipment and supplies and maintains a clean classroom, including restrooms and kitchen area.
• Supervises and ensures the safety and well-being of all children in the classroom at all times, ensuring the classroom’s environment is developmentally appropriate for each child.
• Assists in conducting activities in the classroom to conform to the Program’s written program plans, Performance Standards, Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework: Ages Birth to Five, Minimum Standards for Licensing, CACOST’s Head Start Birth to Five Program policies and procedures, School Readiness Goals, and the Parent, Family, and Community Engagement Framework.
• Assists in the implementation of children’s IEPs or Plans of Care for children with Disabilities.
• Maintains a cooperative attitude of working with the teacher, volunteers, parents, and program staff.
• Assists with meal service as needed.
• Assists with children arriving late and facilitates activities.
• Assists the teacher in maintaining accurate written records, including assessments, IEP documentation, screening instruments, anecdotal observations, and other required forms.
• Assures/assists in general maintenance and security of the facility.

Requirements

• Valid Texas Driver's License.
• Must pass DFPS background check.
• Must pass an annual physical.
• Must attend 24 clock hours of professional development and staff training per year, including:
  • Active supervision and safety practices.
  • Training that improves child and family outcomes.
  • Training on methods to handle suspected or known child abuse and neglect cases that comply with applicable federal, state, and local laws.
  • Any other trainings as outlined by the Head Start Performance Standards and Child Care Regulation from the State of Texas.

Qualifications

• As prescribed in section 648A(a)(2)(B)(ii) of the Head Start Act, minimum qualifications include:
  • A CDA credential or a state-awarded certificate that meets or exceeds the requirements for a CDA credential.
  • Enrollment in a program that will lead to an associate or bachelor's degree.
  • Enrollment in a CDA credential program to be completed within two years of the time of hire.
• Preferred qualifications:
  • A CDA credential or an associate degree in child development, early childhood education, or equivalent to a major relating to early childhood education, with experience teaching preschool-age children.

Skills

• Ability to work as a team member collaborating with staff, parents, and community resources.
• Ability to supervise preschool children and ensure a safe environment, including monitoring and responding to events in the classroom and outdoor play areas.
• Physical ability to move quickly to respond to children who are very active and may need restraint or redirection to ensure their safety or the safety of others.

Physical Requirements

If a preliminary offer of employment is extended, a physical will be required before the offer can be accepted. Able to perform the following physical requirements of the position with or without reasonable accommodation:

• Critical sensory requirements include general vision; specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.
• Able to hear or listen in the normal range (corrected) and speak and give directions clearly.
• Able to walk, sit, stand, kneel, crouch, crawl, reach, lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects up to 10 lbs., and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.